Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has had enough.
When asked about Pelosi’s ability to actually work with Republicans to help the American people, McConnell answered, “I wish Nancy would turn off all these political talking points.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the United States (and the world) faster than anyone could have anticipated.
In just a few weeks, the global economy came to a screeching halt as people stayed in their homes to flatten the curve.
But now the economic repercussions are beginning to make themselves known, and time is of the essence.
Republican leaders such as McConnell lament that the Democrat politicking will cost American lives and livelihoods.
Rather than passing relief aid that will help every American, Democrats would rather politicize the pandemic, Republicans claim.
More on McConnell’s no-holds-barred assessment of Pelosi below:
Throughout the pandemic, many Democratic leaders have appeared to use the crisis to pass partisan agendas.
Many governors and mayors, for example, banned the sales of guns in their states while also releasing criminals from jails.
Nancy Pelosi was accused of attempting to shove pro-abortion language into the coronavirus stimulus bill.
Fox News has more details on McConnell's frank view on Pelosi's antics:
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., called out House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Thursday over her rhetoric regarding the coronavirus aid bill passed unanimously by the Senate Wednesday evening.
"I wish Nancy would turn off all those political talking points," McConnell told "The Story" of Pelosi after she characterized provisions aimed at helping corporations whose budgets have been stunted by the sudden economic shutdown as a corporate handout.
"An awful lot of Americans work for big companies, so we didn't want to exclude the employees simply because of the size of their employer," McConnell told host Martha MacCallum. "She knows better than that."
He added that he hopes Pelosi's political rhetoric "comforts" House Democrats enough that they take up the Senate bill in good faith and pass it quickly.
Now that the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) has officially run out of money, Republicans are calling on Congress to approve more funds immediately.
The majority of this money goes to ensure that employees are guaranteed paychecks.
Businesses can qualify for these loans and have the balances forgiven as long as they use the money to continue paying employees who are unable to work during this time.
But instead of working diligently to pass additional funding, Pelosi was seen on late night T.V. showing off her refrigerator that costs over $20,000.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, President Trump has listened to leaders, experts, and advisors from both sides of the aisle.
Instead of making political choices, he has made data-driven decisions that are rooted in scientific fact and backed by expert advice.
Meanwhile, Democrats have been accused of politicizing the pandemic to undermine Trump in an election year.
Politico reports on the games of phone tag and "snubs" that are hurting the efforts to provide relief to the American people:
The most recent example came Thursday. As an emergency rescue fund for small businesses ran dry, leaders on both sides dug in — extending a weeklong dispute about how to replenish the program and who was at fault for the delay.
“It is surreal to see Democratic leaders treat support for workers and small businesses as something they need to be goaded into supporting,” said McConnell, who brought the Senate in for a brief session and then promptly adjourned until Monday. “This should be above politics.”
The comment offered only a hint of the disputes between congressional leaders that are multifaceted, personal and stubborn.
While there is a legitimate policy disagreement among the parties, long-running personal quarrels among the most powerful people in Washington are also undermining relief efforts. And the idea of Congress rising above politics is laughable at the moment, even as the need for statesmanship has never been greater.
The origin of the latest clash is a game of phone tag that has left each side accusing the other of pettiness.
Democrats, now angry that Republicans began to move forward without their input, are dealing only with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. Republicans, in turn, are mounting an all-out assault on the Democratic Party as hostage-takers that hate small businesses.
Sidelined and forced to watch the political theater play out from their home states, some rank-and-file lawmakers in both parties are growing exasperated.
“I’m frustrated, I’m dismayed, I’m disgusted,” said Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.), who beat a GOP incumbent in 2018. “And I speak for a lot of us when I say that.”
Phillips emphasized he wasn’t criticizing any one leader in particular but rather the “business-as-usual” partisanship on display as top lawmakers — and party campaign committees — blast out statements blaming the other side instead of negotiating.
Retorted Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), an ally of McConnell: “I know this is shocking to you, but some of it’s just posturing.”
“I don’t think we’re going to stay stuck forever,” Cornyn added. Still, he blamed Schumer and Pelosi for using an emergency as an “opportunity to spend money.”
Governing during ordinary times is a challenge.
But politics should be put aside during a pandemic.
McConnell was right to say that "Nancy [should] turn off all these political talking points."
Rather than looking to pass stimulus bills based on partison principles, perhaps our leaders should look exactly on how prolonged shutdowns are hurting Americans now.
Idealogies should not be a litmus test for how the funding is allocated or dispersed.
The priority is to help all those impacted by COVID-19.;
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